Travelogue No.21: Amsterdam By Night

Whoa...it's not what your thinking. Pervert! As always I like to try to capture the iconic sites both day and night. PIX

Travelogue No.20: Amsterdam Street Art

There certainly isn't as much street art in Amsterdam as there is in Paris but the talent is just as good. The Dutch are more laid back than the fiery French. Every country has an excitable youth that need to express themselves. My impression of the Dutch street art is that it is art for arts sake and not as politcally charged as their French or Italian counterparts. PIX

Travelogue No.19: Amsterdam Street Scenes

You can see the bicycle culture everywhere in Amsterdam. It's hard to imagine how people find their bikes in the tangled knots of metal and rubber sculptures found on the streets. Especially at the train station. Canal boats with tourists and house boats cruise through the water. Groups socialising on patios drinking Heinekens while puffs of smoke roll out of the coffee shops. No photos allowed in the Red Light District. You'll have to experience that on your own. PIX

Travelogue No.18: Amsterdam House of Bols

Everybody likes a properly mixed cocktail. Bols has been perfecting their genever since 1575. They also have around 50 flavours of liquers. My family has a special place in our hearts for this brand. Not just because we like to drink but because my grandparents had a set of cocktail glasses that have recipes measured on the sides and the Ballerina Bottle. PIX

Travelogue No.17: Amsterdam Architecture

While I didn't see the classic windmills and I wasn't at the right time for tulips, I did see lots of Baroque style architecture. PIX

Travelogue No.16: Amsterdam Museums & Art

Museumplein is an area where you can find the I Amsterdam sign, The Concertgebouw and three other spectacular museums. The Van Gogh Museum houses the artists tools and works. The recently renovated Rijksmuseum contains a virtual time capsule of history of the Netherlands. Modern artists Warhol, Picasso, Pollock, Kooning, and Kadinsky hang in the Stedelijk Museum. PIX

Travelogue No.15: Euro Transportaion

European cars are traditionally small and lack certain options we find common in North America. There are also some unique brands we don't see here at home. Bikes, scooters and other two wheeled dare devils are every where in Paris and even more so in Amsterdam. Look both ways. Twice. PIX

Travelogue No.14: Paris By Night

The Eiffel Tower is more stunning from dusk until dawn than it is throughout the day. I have a short video of the light show given at dusk. Crowds gather and socialize over bottles of wine and wait for the lights to twinkle. The Arc de Triomphe also has a charismatic charm at night too. I had trouble deciding between colour or black & white for some images so I have done both. PIX VID

Travelogue No.13: Paris Street Art

Some people call it graffitti, tagging or even garbage. I call it art. I get mixed reviews on this topic so please enjoy this temporary Parisian art I have frozen in time or don't. PIX

Travelogue No.12: Père Lachaise Cemetery

I love life yet I find myself fascinated with cemeteries. Père Lachaise cemetery is definitely the oldest one I have ever been to. Some of the graves are so old a decrepit that they have fallen apart or are no longer legible. There are quite a few famous individuals interred there. Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Frédéric Chopin and Édith Piaf. PIX

There's one that brings them from a far
The legacy of a shooting star
For this American time would not wait
In Paris he was dealt his fate
"Alive she cried" he used to sing
There is no rest for the Lizard King

Travelogue No.11: Paris Street Scenes

Cozy cafés and billions of boulangeries line the streets of Paris. They pretty much sum up the laissez faire lifestyle. Taking time to smell the bread and coffee while socialising with your peers is as essential to the French as oxygen is to life. Frankly, it's hard to believe there is any oxygen in Paris with all the cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes. PIX

Travelogue No.10: The Palace of Versailles

Of all the sites I visited none were more spectacular than the Pallace of Versaille. You may be familiar with this pallace as it has been the home to many famous French nobles. It is also the place where the Treaty of Versaille was signed which helped put an end to World War I. If you've ever seen this place you know how opulent it is. Well, for some of its past owners the pallace was too big and stuffy so there is two smaller mansions in the back acres as well as a small hamlet that Marie Antoinette was fond of. I can only assume she wanted to see how the other half lived and when she got bored or dirty she could just go back to the pallace. PIX

Travelogue No.09: Paris Monuments and Architecture

How can you go to France and not go to the Eiffel Tower? Coming from another tower city I can understand that it can become just another structure. I expected to see it rising above the horizon everywhere I looked but surprisingly you need get pretty close to see it in all its glory. There is an endless amount of stunning architecture around the city. Beautiful churches with enormous stained glass windows and ornate ceiling fixtures. You will have no trouble at all finding a plethora of monuments, sculptures and buildings honouring France's rich history. PIX

Travelogue No.08: Paris Museums

There is plenty of art to behold in Paris. Ever heard of Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo? You can find both of them in the Louvre. Maybe Impressionism is your thing. Wander over to Musée de l'Orangerie and see Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin and Matisse. Another beautiful spot is Musée d'Orsay where mainly French art is on display. Musée de l'Armée houses Napoleon's tomb as well as a comprehensive collection of military armour and weaponry throughout French history. That's just the four museums I was able to visit while I was there. PIX

Collecting New Specimens

I am currently in Paris, France snapping away. Next stop Amsterdam. Plenty of pix coming later this month. Stay tuned.